White Truffle Season Is Here!

[ASM NY]

The first shipments of fresh white truffles have started to arrive in New York. Any ideas where to buy them?

In the past I have seen them at Citarella and at Buon Italia. I purchased one last year in the latter, but it was close to the end of the season and I was not impressed with the quality.

Any other places come to mind?

[Ken]

I just got my first of the year this week and am happy to report that the quality seems far better than any last year. They're only large walnut size, it is still pretty early, and I paid 1620 a lb from Danko.

Summer rains in Europe are very helpful for the truffle crop in the fall. Many of the high end purveyors are getting in the act this week and next.

Bon Appetit

[Fat Guy]

D'Artagnan has them at $142.50 for a one-ounce truffle. You can mail order them anywhere.

I was just in Chicago and was talking to several Italian-restaurant chefs who had just gotten their first ones in, and they all felt this was the best white truffle quality year in recent memory.

[chefboy24]

[M.X.Hassett]

Plantin America, Inc.

518 Gregory Avenue,

Suite B208

Weehawken, NJ 07087

Tel: (201) 867-4590

http://www.plantin.com/shop/index.php?main...e=index&cPath=4

"top chefs, including Rocco DiSpirito, Sylvain Portay and Christian Delouvrier, order winter (tuber melanosporum), summer (tuber aestivum) and white truffles from this company based in France since 1930"

also I have had good expeiences ordering from D'artagnan

https://www.dartagnan.com/search.asp?search...%20and%20Frozen

[baw]

What about a restaurant recommendation for white truffles?? I need a place for this Wednesday. The requirements are: I can get a ~7 pm res for 3 people for this Wednesday, great food, great service, and we can get us a tasty white truffle dish or two. Please help! Midtown (45th-65th) is preferred, but will travel for something special. Thanks for any advice. My default will be San Domenico.. although I haven't yet called to see if a res is open and if they can promise the truffles.

[ASM NY]

What about a restaurant recommendation for white truffles??  I need a place for this Wednesday.  The requirements are: I can get a ~7 pm res for 3 people for this Wednesday, great food, great service, and we can get us a tasty white truffle dish or two. Please help! Midtown (45th-65th) is preferred, but will travel for something special.  Thanks for any advice.  My default will be San Domenico.. although I haven't yet called to see if a res is open and if they can promise the truffles.

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There are a few places in the city, depending how much you are looking to spend. Fiamma Osteria usually have a few items, although I am not sure they have them yet. Another good place to check (and usually where I go when it's season) is Sette Mezzo in the upper east side. It's more casual, and I generally find the food and service to be very good (note: cash only). I have heard good things about white truffle dishes at Scalinatella but I have never been.

[M.X.Hassett]

I remember having a truffle tasting menu at ADNY a few years back. The cost is up there though for two people we were in four figure land easily.

[M.X.Hassett]

Take a look at ADNY thread post #41 for this years truffle menu.

[chopjwu12]

ive been using them at work alot lately and they have been really really nice. I didn't get to handle to many last year at bouley but this years have been great so far. You got to love the smell in the dinignroom when that box opens up.

[Zeemanb]

Here's hoping that some find their way to the midwest..... Went to a Piedmont themed dinner this time last year at Lidia Bastianich's restaurant here in KC , and she had flown in from Italy the day before with what looked like nearly a pound of them. I'll never forget that aroma as she carried them around the dining room, and shaved them onto plates of hot risotto for approx. 50 people. Absolutely unbelievable.

[Felonius]

I mention this in another thread, but thought I'd post it here as well.

White truffles I had this week at Cafe Boulud and San Domenico were miles apart in flavor intensity. The truffle at Cafe Boulud blew away the one at San Domenico. It was much more intense, seemed softer, less dry, and had more of a "melt in your mouth" quality. I should also add that Cafe Boulud shaved the truffle in thinner slices and seemed to offer less actual truffle per dollar. However, the truffle was so much more aromatic that the smaller serving served a much bigger truffle punch.

Does this have to do with the quality of the truffle? Its age or freshness? How it was transported or stored? Any experts out there care to enlighten me?

Edited October 24, 2005 by Felonius (log)

[Claudia Greco]

Urbani's here in NYC usually carries white truffles, and does do mail order. They had trouble getting them either last year or the year before (a catastrophic truffle harvest, I believe), but should be back in full swing. Eli's Vinegar Factory at 80th St/3rd Avenue always has white truffles, WT paste, WT "carpaccio" and various other products, as does Citarella at 75th/3rd. Ironically, Tuscan Square (51th Street/Rockfeller Plaza) has a pootato salad made with walnuts, beautifully melted fontina, celery root and lots of white truffle oil at their salad bar today, and given the fact that I've had to work 16 hour days every day this week except Halloween, I figured I owed myself a little white truffle something.

I haven't checked, but I imagine Dean & DeLuca carries WT and they also do mail order. In terms of restaurants, I can't think of any one off the top of my overworked and over-caffinated brain at present, but a lovely little restaurant called Ribollita (Park Ave/19th? /22?) has, in the past, dished up a FABULOUS white truffle risotto that made us all nearly weep. And, yes, even though risotto is a "first plate" and you're only really supposed to get one serving, those dear men at Ribollita immediately sensed my need for a second order without a word being said about piatti primi, gluttony, or why Americani can't eat the way we're supposed to. They knew. Oh yes. They KNEW . . .

[NYCCHEF]

For anyone interested, there will be a White Truffle dinner at Cru Retaurant in Manhattan on December 6th of this year. The menu is as follows:

Amuse Bouche

Sliced Hamachi Collar with Marinated Fennel, Quince and Beets Sponge

Crème Fraiche-Truffle Yolk Dressing

CRU

Krug ‘Grande Cuvée’

First Course

Vanishing White Truffle Noodles

Cauliflower, Custard Apple and Cepes

Cornelius Gallagher – Oceana

Meursault 1er Cru ‘Charmes’ Domaine Comtes Lafon 1997

Fish Course

Seared Nantucket Bay Scallops

with "Crema di Riso", Whipped with Parmigiano and Butter "Vacca Rossa".

Dodo Nicotra – Felidia

Hermitage Blanc J.L. Chave 1994

Pasta Course

Homemade Foie Gras-Tapioca Ravioli with a Sunchoke Broth

Tony Esnault – Alain Ducasse NY

Barolo Bartolo Mascarello 1971

Fowl Course

Gently Cooked Four Story Hill Guinea Hen

Corona Bean Passatina, Caramelised Broccoli and Whipped Red Kuri Squash

Hazelnut Fonduta

Shea Gallante – CRU

Barbaresco Riserva ‘Santo Stefano’ Bruno Giacosa 1982

Meat Course

Everything from a Hampshire Lamb

North Carolina Farro, Bianca Riccia and Herbs Salad

Dan Barber – Blue Hill / BH Stone Barns

Barolo Riserva ‘Monfortino’ Giacomo Conterno 1978

Pre Dessert

Red Grapefruit Soup with Greek Yogurt Sorbet

CRU

Vanilla Dessert

Tahitian Vanilla & Spice Pudding Cake

Truffled Sabayon and Golden Barley Crunch

Tiffany MacIssac – CRU

Chateau d’Yquem 1983

Chocolate Dessert

Austrian Pumpkinseed-Chocolate Souffle

with Caramel and Madeira-Black Truffle Ice Cream

Alex Grunert – Bouley

Madeira Boal 1863 Barbeito

[Claudia Greco]

For anyone interested, there will be a White Truffle dinner at Cru Retaurant in Manhattan on December 6th of this year.

Do you know how much the prix fixe will be?

[NYCCHEF]

For anyone interested, there will be a White Truffle dinner at Cru Retaurant in Manhattan on December 6th of this year.

Do you know how much the prix fixe will be?

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Yes - $750

[BryanZ]

Is this some kind of charity event? It looks pretty sweet, but $750 is a pretty hefty amount of money.

[Chris Amirault]

I haven't checked, but I imagine Dean & DeLuca carries WT[.]

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In SoHo last weekend, I saw several nesting in a bowl of arborio....

[akwa]

Is this some kind of charity event?  It looks pretty sweet, but $750 is a pretty hefty amount of money.

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in addition to the excellent cuisine, those are some of the greatest wines of the century

[M.X.Hassett]

For anyone interested, there will be a White Truffle dinner at Cru Retaurant in Manhattan on

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Who would one contact to make a reservation? Cru or is there a seperate # or website?

Edit: Just call Cru to make a reservation they still have some tables open.

Edited November 8, 2005 by M.X.Hassett (log)

[rich]

Sapori d'Ischia is having a special truffle dinner this Sunday afternoon (11/13) that includes wine with each course. There will be some brief lectures and discussion about truffles. It's $95 per person.

I'll be there.

[M.X.Hassett]

For anyone interested, there will be a White Truffle dinner at Cru Retaurant in Manhattan on December 6th of this year. The menu is as follows:

Just checked my voicemail and it appears that all of the other chefs have dropped out of the dinner and the menu is going to change. Waiting to hear back from Robert B.

Edit: Anyone know why the other chefs bowed out.

Edited December 6, 2005 by M.X.Hassett (log)

[sonneboi]

Edit: Anyone know why the other chefs bowed out.

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not the case at all, the event did not draw what was expected so it was cancelled by the host. The chef's were actually notified that the event had to be cancelled. It really is a shame, as it would have been a sensational dinner.

[ulterior epicure]

Re: Truffle oils.

Which will give me a more heady dose of the truffle aroma/flavor/pungeance for the $? I've had them both in dishes recently (ice cream, pastas, and others). But, I'm not sure which was used in which - and they were all VERY fragrant.

Would love some tips and any particular brands to buy/avoid.

Cheers.

ulterior epicure.

[ASM NY]

Which will give me a more heady dose of the truffle aroma/flavor/pungeance for the $?  I've had them both in dishes recently (ice cream, pastas, and others).  But, I'm not sure which was used in which - and they were all VERY fragrant.

Would love some tips and any particular brands to buy/avoid.

←

I am sure that you will find another thread with more info, but here's my two cents:

Not a huge fan of white truffle oil as it's usually a lot of chemicals and peels, not truffle per se. I have had better luck with truffle butter. It's a little more expensive, but in my opinion gives a more authentic aroma.

As for brands and sources, I would say Urbani. One place I have found to be a good source for truffle-related products at D'Artagnan.